A blog about Thomas Witlam Atkinson and Lucy Atkinson, the 19th century explorers of Siberia and Central Asia

A visit to the Decembrist Museum in Irkutsk

During our trip to Eastern Siberia we took the opportunity to visit the Decembrist Museum in Irkutsk, not least because Thomas Atkinson had planned to write a final book on the Decembrists, but died before it could be published. (For more background, see my blog post on the Atkinsons and the Decembrists of 2 March 2017). Located in the former home of Prince Sergei Volkonsky and his wife Maria, the museum has a wonderful collection of memorabilia associated with the Decembrists, many of whom were exiled to this region.

We were received with great hospitality by staff at the museum, including Anna Turevich, who has already published a short article on Thomas and Lucy Atkinson’s connections with the Decembrists. More work is planned and it is hoped at some point that research into the private correspondence of some of the Decembrists may reveal more about their meetings with the English travellers.

Nick Fielding with Anna Turevich (c) and a colleague in the gardens of the Decembrist MuseumTea and cakes with the staff from the museum